


I Feel Your Heart

by PrinnPrick



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cute, Deaf, Deaf Character, Drama & Romance, Eventual Fluff, F/F, Female Homosexuality, Fluff and Humor, Funny, Homosexuality, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Mild Angst, Misunderstandings, More to be added... - Freeform, Romantic Fluff, Slash, Tidus is a jerk, accidental prejudice/ignorance about the deaf, extremely needy Cloud because I think it's cute don't judge me, multiple deaf characters, sora does not regain his hearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22540084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinnPrick/pseuds/PrinnPrick
Summary: Sora is deaf, which makes it hard for him to find work. Luckily, he obtains a job at a cafe made for deaf workers. While there, he meets many new friends who actually understand him and he begins to feel his world opening up...He even comes to know a man he can't live without.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart, Cloud/Leon (Kingdom Hearts), Demyx/Zexion (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 41





	1. Sora's New Job

**Author's Note:**

> Transfer tiiiiime! This fic was written in 2010 during a period in when I was trying to learn ASL (still am, actually). ASL is sign language! 
> 
> This one will be a little weird because it includes translations that will be given in **bold** beside or below each ASL description.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP. This baby has three chapters written already from 2010 that turned out to only need minor adjustments (go me?), so at least for the next two chapters you may see some quick updating. It helps that they're kind of short... However, after that it may be a good while before I actually update. I need to find a new ASL site because past!me was dumb and didn't list the one I was using, so now I can't find it. Any suggestions?
> 
> I hope things don't get too confusing, but just in case they do please feel free to ask me about anything! Some of the descriptions do get complicated, but I did my best to describe the movements as accurately as possible.
> 
> Gifted to Zaya, though she's not a member here (if she is I have no clue what she goes by now).

"Alright. You've been through the basic training classes, so today we'll go over how the tables work," began a man whose nametag said in big, bold letters "LEON". He had both his hands up and waved them around his face while moving his fingers quickly. From afar (or to anyone who wouldn't recognize the motions), they'd have thought he was simply the type that had to move his hands as he spoke. However, he was signalling to a younger, smaller male who watched his movements with rapt attention. As he spoke, he repeated his words to make sure he was understood using this other language. "Alright, follow me."

The two brunettes walked out of a tiny office once Leon was ready (the door of which said "MANAGERS ONLY") and out into a hall. Leon held the door open for the other, and then waited for him to exit before locking it up behind them. He dusted off the black apron he wore around his waist and neck that was covered in what looked to be flour, and then grabbed the exact same kind of apron (without the white powder) from a wall with bronze clothing hooks. Leon tossed it after he had jerked it off to the smaller male behind him. "Here, Sora, put this on."

Sora stumbled as he had the apron practically thrown at him by his new frowning boss. He fumbled about in the material until he found the neck ring and quickly slung it on. There was confusion in his eyes as he looked up the near two heads distance between them and tapped his shoulder gingerly as the bigger brunette began to walk away again. At first, he had hesitated to stop his new employer, as the man was very scary... But he knew he had to be brave and ask questions, or he might not be able to get the job right. Once Leon turned around, he shakily lifted his hands.

"... The apron?" Leon asked in return as he signaled the answer fluently. His movements were so fast and casual it was almost hard to keep up. "Even though you don't technically begin until your schedule is made, I'll be taking you to see the whole cafe. We bake our own desserts, so in order to try and keep your clothes somewhat clean in case of accidents I just prefer you to wear it until you leave."

Sora smiled in return and tapped both hands with fingers erect against his chin. **Thank you.**

"No problem. Now come on."

Sora followed Leon obediently, but Leon's legs were long and he moved rather fast; Sora was behind him by at least three feet. They walked from the back of the shop and down a hallway; to the left was a small classroom of sorts where a group of people were being taught about the items on a menu (that was where Sora had been the past two weeks). On the right was a simple break room, the door of which was branded with a non-smoking sign.

They walked into the room where the baking happened. Sora smiled as the smell of apple, cinnamon, fresh bread, coffee, and cooked sugar wafted like a heavy perfume up to his nose the moment they stepped in. There was only five cooks there today, each doing something different: some were kneading dough, some were baking cakes, and others were laughing and talking as they did final preparations on dishes. All of them were either gracefully moving their hands about or reading each other's lips. One cook among the five was talking normally with a voice Sora imagined was clear and crisp, though he couldn't confirm it unless he asked. Sora assumed his voice to be so nice because he was very easy to look at... He was blonde, blue-eyed, clear skinned, and one of those guys that was hard to place as either handsome or beautiful because neither seemed to be exactly right while every other descriptor seemed not enough. Sora noted (besides the man's perfect white teeth) that though the cook smiled and laughed with the others he actually did not speak that often himself.

Leon waved to this blonde cook as he and Sora approached, which caused the blond to suddenly stiffen (quite visibly) as a dust-pink rose to his cheeks. The blond smiled up at Leon in a way that was so shy and happy to see him it was almost heart-attack inducing... But the brunette didn't act like he noticed, and instead turned to Sora once more rather indifferently.

"Sora, this is Cloud. He's the cooks you'll be seeing the most often. He runs the bakery back here for me and also preps the big dishes for sending out. If there's a problem with the food, you talk to him. If there's any alterations with the orders, you talk to him. Unless he's busy, anything involving the food is related to him--and if he _is_ busy you simply come to me or Yuffie. Yuffie is the girl who taught you about the menus; she's my manager over the servers. You'll be meeting her again on your first day for on-floor training."

Sora nodded at the big manager, and then looked at Cloud to offer his usual grin. He gave Cloud's face and clothes a quick glance and was able to note a hearing aid in the blond's ear he hadn't been able to see until he was up close. Cloud seemed to have deflated when he was ignored by Leon, which made Sora feel rather bad for him. He smiled all the same, spread his hands out, and then used the tips of his middle fingers to flick off his lower chest. **What's up?**

"Not much..." Cloud replied quietly (his lips hardly moved, which usually meant that a person was talking very low) as he made an almost dismissive hand move away from his neck.*

Sora chuckled. Leon gently tapped his shoulder and waved him away from the chef table once he had his attention. They walked over to a case hanging on the wall where black boxes that looked almost like beepers were attached to what he assumed were chargers. Leon opened the small case, plucked one, and held it out for Sora. The small brunette looked directly at him for instruction.

"Ninety-percent of our workers are either deaf or have hearing problems; that's the point of this cafe. You know that part already." Leon turned the beeper on, which had a number pad on one side. Leon typed in his employee number before he showed Sora the screen as the black box logged him in.

"First you will put in your I.D. and password, which you will receive the next time you come back. Then you will be assigned tables. The numbers will also be typed into your box." The screen, after logging him in, simply asked "Table No.:". Leon looked over to a dry-erase board right beside the box of chargers where a chart of tables had been drawn in. "Every day, your assigned tables will be set up here. Servers will sometimes have their tables switched, depending on the time of day, so be sure to keep checking the chart. To make it a little easier, these babies are programmed so that no two servers can have the same table typed in."

Sora nodded to indicate he understood, and even shook his head no when asked if he had any questions.

"Follow me to the floor, and be careful of the servers."

Leon walked Sora out from the back of the shop into a rather cozy setting. There were around twenty-odd tables with different table cloths, a fake electric fireplace for the colder months built into the wall, a shelf of board games, and tall windows. Each table had comfortable chairs with large, fluffy cushions or squishy booths, and was accented by flowers of all colors (some were fake for those who had allergies). The windows had thin, blue curtains that cast a soft blue light around the room. Though some of the customers were signaling their conversations, many others were talking and drinking coffee; they were completely comfortable around the deaf (that was new for Sora, who was used to people with hearing not wanting to deal with him). Some sort of music was playing, though Sora only knew that because he had been told not to touch the radio as they passed it ("Managers only.").

The large brunette brought Sora over to a fairly empty section; the cafe wasn't too busy at the moment. He stopped before one of the tables and placed a hand on another black electronic device that was attached to the table's end. He then typed in a number on the beeper, number nine--as it read on the device. He then lifted his hands as he began to explain.

"This is what these little connectors... well, _connect_ to. When a customer presses this button," Leon indicated a button that was only an inch wide, bright red. He paused to hand the beeper to Sora, and then pressed the button. Sora laughed after he jumped from shock as the beeper began to vibrate. It didn't simply tingle, either, as a phone might--it shook around in his hands, demanding attention. Sora looked at the beeper and noted the bright red lettering that said "Table 9! Table 9!".

Leon waved his hand before Sora to regain his attention. "Do you understand?"

Sora made a fist and lifted it up so the knuckles faced toward Leon, before he rocked it in the air as if knocking on a door. **Yes.**

"Good. Well, that's all you'll be needing to know for now..." Leon clicked the beeper back off. He rubbed his chin in thought as he looked about the cafe.

"Hmm... I guess that really is it." He turned back to Sora. "I'll be sending your schedule via email."

Sora nodded.

Leon reached out a hand, which Sora took politely. They shook, and then Leon signed the words, **Welcome to the Quiet Cafe. I hope you enjoy working here.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Not necessarily considered sign language, but understood to be something like "Whatever" or "Hey, I guess..." Just a symbol of dismissing the person, so to speak.


	2. Namine

"Hello, I'm Yuffie!" Said a hyper brunet girl with the biggest grin that seemed to take over most of her face. She was taller then Sora by at least a head, and wore some of the shortest shorts Sora had ever seen.

 _Are those even regulation?_ Sora thought with a laugh as he waved back at Yuffie, who was energetically greeting him.

"Hello." She said again. It was obvious to Sora that Yuffie wasn't used to sign language, as she used the longer version. She signaled to him "hello" using the alphabet instead of much simpler gestures and facial expressions. Her fore and middle fingers stood erect and pressed together on one hand, making almost like a pistol. She tapped it, then made an "e" motion- very quickly moving into an "L" sign. She ended her greeting with an "o", and then waved again.

 _She's most likely not deaf herself. I don't know anyone who still uses the basic alphabet. How is she a manager here?_ Sora signaled back by giving a simple salute motion toward his forehead and smiled politely.* He gently pat his chest once, and then made a pistol symbol with both his hands the same way Yuffie did, but he tapped his hands in this position together with one on top of the other instead of pointing or bouncing. Then he fisted, and pistoled again very quickly with one hand.* **My name is Sora.**

"Ah, yes. We met in menu classes! I don't usually teach those, so I should have totally remembered. Sorry!" Yuffie took much longer to signal back, as she had to spell out each of her words. Sora understood all the same, and patiently waited for her to finish signalling. "Welcome on board, Sora! As I said, I'm Yuffie. I'll be your direct boss under Leon. Today you'll be starting out by food running. We don't like giving the new waiters any tables right off the bat; we prefer you get used to the menu first. Makes things easier. I know you had menu class, because I taught it, so of course you know the menu well... But we like to double check. It also helps with knowing where all the tables are and how all the dishes are supposed to look before being walked out. Sometimes the chefs, while in a hurry, miss details or get certain orders wrong, so pay lots of attention!"

Sora followed as Yuffie waved him forward further into the store and toward the back again. The cafe hadn't opened yet, as it was much too early. Inside there were only a few servers cleaning the wooden furniture and setting up the scented chocolate candles that sat in the middle of each table. The floors were freshly mopped, which made the brunette feel a little guilty as he tread across the clean floor.

Yuffie stopped as they came to the back and stood before the chef tables. Cloud was working this morning as well, apparently by himself for now. Sora watched him while he wondered if Leon only needed one person to prep the tables... Either that or Cloud liked to work alone; he did seem awkward with people (except that time with Leon, of course). He turned back to his manager as she tapped his shoulder.

"Alright! Food running. It's just what it says it is! You will be dealing with the food. You'll be carrying it out to the customers as the orders are made! Memorize the table chart, it'll be crucial. And always _always_ double check the food receipts, they'll tell you which customer at what seat got what dessert. The receipts will also say how each meal was altered if there was altering to be needed. Some people are allergic to peanuts, and some of our dishes have peanuts. Very important. Okay?"

Sora nodded a little nervously.

 _I know I can do the job! I just hope I don't get so pressured about getting it right that my memory starts to collapse. Then again, I am new. I have at least a week of free passes out of trouble! I'll easily remember the table chart by then!_ The brunette grinned confidently and nodded once more.

"Good. Oh, and be sure to say 'hi' to Cloud!" Yuffie grinned over at the blonde chef, who scowled at her unpleasantly. Yuffie sighed at him, and then said with her hands down, so she wasn't signalling, "he rejected you again, eh? My brother likes you, I swear! He's just got a stick up his butt."

The blond huffed at her and lifted a bottle of cleaning spray while playfully aiming. Yuffie ducked quickly. Despite the brunette woman not signalling, as Cloud could hear with the aid in his ear, Sora understood what she said. He was very good at lip reading.

"Who is your brother?" Sora asked out loud, in a very sweet voice (or, at least, he hoped he sounded nice. He recalled liking his voice back in the day, anyway). Both managers looked at him in surprise.

Yuffie blinked again as she tilted her head. She said, while still not signalling, "you speak so clearly!"

"Oh..." Sora began. "I had hearing until I was sixteen. I was near an explosion and it... busted my ears, I guess you would say."

"I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine. I do well, despite having lost my hearing. It just made it hard to find a job." Sora chuckled at them, and hoped he conveyed that he was really okay with it; his demeanor was perfectly cheerful.

"I can hear fine, but my older brother was born deaf. He had surgery to hear again a few years ago, and then started this cafe." Yuffie looked so proud.

"Oh, so your brother is Leon?"

"Yep!"

 _That explains why she's so high ranked._ "Congratulations."

"Thanks! You're so polite, Sora." Yuffie turned to Cloud again. She walked around the table with a pout to grab Cloud by one muscular arm. He was attempting to sneak away while she was busy talking to Sora. "You gotta stay and explain your job!"

"Why? It's not as if he'll be a cook..." Cloud grumbled in discontent as he continued to drag Yuffie. He was much stronger then she was, but where was he to go anyway? He stopped, sighed, and looked miserable.

"He might have to be used as a prep cook, though! You gotta explain it to him!"

"Can't you let me just drown in my own misery...?"

Sora wasn't able to see the whole conversation, but what he could was a little funny. He did feel bad for Cloud, though.

 _Poor Cloud... He did look happy to see Leon last week when we met. He must really care about him. I wonder why Leon would reject him? After all, Cloud is very good looking, and Leon is very obviously gay. Do they just not have chemistry?_

Yuffie and Cloud continued their conversation, but Sora was too busy thinking to see Yuffie somehow knock the poor blond into about a pound of dough. He vaguely registered that it had even happened.

_What if... What if Leon says 'no' because Cloud has hearing problems? Leon doesn't have them anymore. I know a few people once they can start hearing they think they're too good for deaf people... Poor, poor Cloud!_

Speaking of him, Leon walked out from the back where his office was with his brow twitching as he noted the blond with a face full of dough and Yuffie cackling. The smallest brunette looked up at the manager, frowning slightly. _It isn't right to assume that, though. It could easily be he's just not interested, and that's perfectly okay. It's wrong to think badly of others before knowing them... I just hope it's the latter and not the former._

Cloud growled at Yuffie as Leon walked to him; too angry to notice the store manager was cleaning his face off for him. Sora laughed and smiled, completely relieved, as Leon gave Cloud's powdered cheek a long lick, and then made a disgusted face from the taste of plain dough. The blond burst red all over, but he looked many times happier then he did.

"Wait, I thought you rejected him?" Yuffie asked, shocked to see the display of affection.

"I never said that. You assumed it." Cloud replied for the brunette, before he latched himself onto Leon. He looked like a content kitten as he nuzzled the brunette's neck and squeezed Leon's waist and chest.

"Then why were you acting so depressed and mad?"

"You already forgot?" Leon gave Yuffie a flat look as he hugged the cook, who was still attempting to drown him in affection. "I'm going on a trip next week. I told him today."

"Oh yeah... That." Yuffie scratched the back of her head and laughed. "I knew that!"

Sora felt so lost as he jerked his attention between all of his managers while trying to keep up with the conversation. It was rather hard though, and easily started to give him a headache. He gave up and sighed, which caught their attention again.

Yuffie blinked at Sora, and quickly began to signal. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

Leon's flat expression turned even flatter. "Learn proper sign language already! You've been living with me for twenty years, just do it!"

"This is proper sign language!" Yuffie argued. "Besides, you didn't need much signalling when we were growing up! You were an awesome lip reader."

 _That explains that._ Sora chuckled.

Yuffie turned back to Sora. "Next week, Squa--"

"It's Leon."

" _Leon_ will be leaving for at least a few days on a trip to check out a possible location for a new Quiet Cafe." She explained happily, and then smiled with so much pride; her eyes even seemed to sparkle. The girl in short-shorts turned to Leon again, hands down. "So, why not take Cloud with you? You might not be returning for a long time if things work out."

"Because he's taking my place as temporary store manager. I can't trust you." Leon said quite simply as he pinched the cleft of Cloud's chin and tilted the blonde's head back; he gave Cloud's lips a quick peck. With that, he let him go and walked back to his office. "I better not hear anymore crashing. We open soon!" He called before he shut the door.

Cloud looked so helpless after hesitantly letting Leon go. He turned back to the remaining brunettes, said nothing, and then toward his work station; he looked so lost and forlorn. His eyes even seemed a little watery.

Sora tried his best not to chuckle at him. It was oddly adorable.

Sora was brought through the kitchen again, received instructions on how to work the ovens, clean the back, work the soda machines, and even when to change the coffee. He was introduced to the table beepers again and the table chart, and then had to take a very quick test on which table was which when he was walked back out onto the floor. Afterward, he was taken to the back again.

"Okay, so do you still have that little menu booklet?"

Sora produced from an apron pocket a small, laminated booklet on a ring.

"Good. In there are all the pictures of all the dishes we have; use it as a reference for whenever you're about to run food out. Don't rush! Even if it means the customer may have to wait an extra minute to get their food we would rather the customer wait then get the order wrong and have something even worse happen. Okay?"

Sora nodded at her and replaced the little booklet back into his pocket.

"Always check." Yuffie repeated, and then smiled brightly. "Well, I think that's about it. Everything else you just sort of pick up and learn along the way! Just remember that the most important rule is safety, safety, SAFETY!"

"Miff Yuuffie."*

There was a woman in all white speaking behind Yuffie. Both Yuffie and Sora turned to the girl at the entrance who was shyly picking at her dress with her head up and her eyes peeled on their lips. She was blonde, a little short, and very pretty with crystal-blue eyes.

"Ah, Namine!" Yuffie lifted her hands. During the time when she was with Sora she had pretty much stopped signalling, even though that meant she had to repeat herself a couple times (as she spoke rather fast). "Namine, this is Sora. The new trainee." Yuffie turned to Sora. "Sora, this is one of our trainers. She'll be personally seeing to your 'education' of the cafe. She'll show you how to hold a tray, how to handle a bad situation with irate customers, and how to tell where each seat at each table is--among other things!"

Namine slid her hands across each other gently, as if she were wiping something off her hands. They were flat on top of each other, her bottom hand's palm facing upward to the ceiling. She then quickly lifted her hands, fisting both except the pointer fingers. The pointer fingers dropped into the fist, then lifted back up. She soon tapped the knuckles together. To end the gesture, she pointed at Sora with another sweet smile. **Nice to meet you.**

Sora did the same thing, and then shook hands with her. Namine's hands were very soft, if not a little cold. Sora immediately thought that, if he were not gay, he might find it easy to fall for this girl.

"Yay!" Yuffie bounced in place and clapped her hands, which made Namine giggle. "Now that we're all nice and introduced, let's open the store and have some fun! You can meet the other servers while you work."

Sora nodded, and watched Yuffie run off. The brunette was pulling a chain of keys out of her tiny pocket, which simply dumbfounded Sora. _How does she keep anything in those little pockets, much less a bunch of keys?_

Namine tapped his shoulder to get his attention again. Once more, she was grinning; it was a little wider now that they were alone.

She cupped her hand so the palm was facing Sora first, and then gently made a forward half circle with her hand's palm ending up facing the ceiling. Still moving casually with her hands, she fisted her left hand with only the pointer finger straight up. Her other hand also fisted with the point finger up, but instead of having it stand before her face as her left hand did, she had her right hand's finger jet upward into a circular motion from the side until the tips pressed together. Both her hands lifted after that, flat and facing opposite walls, with the left hand in front of her right. She slid them both downwards. To end her sentence, she made a "c" symbol with her right hand on the right side of her chin, then bounced her "c" over to the left side, and ended it with a quick slide down directly from the left side of her chin.

**Welcome to the Quiet Cafe.**

Namine smiled. Her right hand lifted again, but this time she had her three middle fingers in a loose fist as her pinky pointed out and her thumb stood straight. From that, she quickly moved both her hands again with her right to the side of her head which gave it a light tap as her left moved in front of her face. Both were straight. From there, she gave her fingers, not her hands, two quick jumps. She pointed at Sora, and then fisted both her hands and tapped the front of her left wrist over the back of her right hand. To end her message, she waved both her hands before her chest; her hands held out with her fingers together, thumbs separated, and palms up. She giggled again.

**I hope you enjoy working here.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The very simple version of saying "Hello" in sign language. Looks like a salute.
> 
> *Sign language for "My name is". Names each have their own unique symbol, and there is no way to tell what Sora's would be, so... Didn't actually include one. Didn't want to do anything wrong.
> 
> *Sora may speak normally, but those who are born deaf or who have lived with hearing loss for a long time would typically have a lisp or very obvious difficulty with speaking. Since they can't hear, they would not know how to sound out words completely. I explained why Sora speaks alright, but he's the _only_ deaf character that can, and that's only because he had a lot of time to learn. Namine, on the other hand, obviously does not have the same advantage.
> 
> I'm afraid to say that only the simple stuff that anyone would say to greet or ask other people is, well, simple. Anything specific I'll have to spend a little extra time describing.


	3. Riku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned, more specific sentences will require heftier descriptions. 
> 
> This fic will go on hiatus now that it's been tranferred. I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone, but this story requires a lot more effort than most because I do use real ASL. Unfortunately, the ASL teacher I had I lost touch with and I need to find a decent ASL site. Along with that, ASL takes a good amount of study, even just for reference. Come the Summer I may have more time (if I can't get my Summer courses).
> 
> I do have plot, at least! This won't be left for dead!
> 
> WARNING: Tidus is kind of a jerk. Okay, he's a big jerk.

Sora and Namine were enjoying some coffee together on their break. The blonde was happily expressing the success of a recent relationship she had begun to the brunette, who was both happy for her and a little depressed for himself, or so said the smile he somewhat forced over his boyish face.

Namine suddenly paused her hands and laid them over the table a moment as she tilted her head at her friend. There was still a smile present, but her brows were furrowed into sudden worry. Namine lifted her right hand with her fingers separated and extended, and gently rubbed in a small dot with her middle finger on the middle of her chest. She then made like a soft karate chop with the same hand into her left hand, which was held straight and flat like a board. Her right hand quickly pointed to Sora with a loose fist, left hand deftly touching near her right elbow. She ended her statement with a rather common "What?" move of shrugging her shoulders up slightly and extending her hands out, palms up, with a confused expression.

**Do you feel alright?**

Sora blinked with slightly widened eyes. He lifted a hand to his mouth, coming to the sudden realization he was letting his sadness show a little too well. He waved a dimissive hand. The brunette immediately put on a nonchalant face and lifted his right hand, middle finger pointing toward himself, and gently tapped the middle of his chest. He then lifted the same hand and flattened it as it waved away from his chest, his left hand coming out to stand like a board. He first chopped his right hand into his left with it tilted more toward the right. Then, while both hands stayed connected in that chop tilted it to the left gently. After that, he had his right hand stand up straight and flat as he rubbed the tips of his three middle fingers on his left hand against the palm.

**I'm fine! Honest.**

Though Namine wasn't what one would label as the nosy sort, she was the biggest worry wart Sora had ever met. One sign of discomfort or anything other then happiness, and Namine was flying off like Wonder Woman to save the day... or at least do what she could. It was both a blessing and a nuisance to have someone so caring and attentive around. Unfortunately, Sora knew she would not simply leave this be or change the subject, at least not without stressing out about him all day, so he decided to make up a somewhat honest excuse.

Sora first touched the back of his right hand with his left middle finger, the other fingers straight and seperate. He bounced his finger off the back of his right hand, then both hands curled toward his face as they lifted upwards. Now in front of his face with his arms extended outward slightly, he flicked both his hands toward Namine. He ended his statement by fisting his right hand and using the pointer finger to draw a small air circle three times near his temple.

**Been thinking.**

Namine fisted her right hand tight; the back of it facing Sora first. She then spun her hand around, her thumb and pointer making an almost rectangle shape as the other three fingers extended outward.

**Of?**

Sora pointed to himself first, and then lifted both hands with both pairs of pointer and middle fingers extended straight up as the other fingers pressed against each other by the tips. He ran them in quick side-ways circles near his face three times, his right hand moving at counter clock-wise ahead of his left, which was moving clock-wise. He pointed to himself again, then lifted both his hands up. With the thumbs pointing down, he cupped all his remaining fingers with his hands at least a foot apart, though paralell, as if holding a cup sideways, then swung them in an upside-down rainbow motion at the same time and speed. Half way across the rainbow swing, he stopped his hands then lifted them up with the palms moving toward the ceiling. He then flicked them out. Sora began to shake his head "no" as his right hand fisted, thumb flat against the side. After that, his right hand moved as if to grab a bug right out of the air, first with an open hand moving forward, then snatching it back in a fist. He ended his statement by fisted both hands and tapping his right wrist over the back of his left wrist.

**I'm worried I didn't get the job.***

Namine chuckled, relieved. She smiled brightly at her brunette friend, and waved a dismissive hand at him. Then she pointed to him casually before placing the pads of her thumbs over her pinky nails, her three middle fingers straightening into the air. She waved them twice in circular motions before her face, and then placed them before her again as if holding a medium ball. From that ball holding position, she made a motion that looked as if she were pulling or tearing this imaginary ball in half. To end her sentence, she made a similar presentation with her hands as she did when she "broke" the ball, but this time her hands were much flatter and appeared to float away instead of "rip" something.

**You worry too much!**

The blonde woman hit her first against the air as if knocking on a door, and then gently nodded her head. She pointed to Sora again, and then made both her hands into fists. With her left hand in that fist curled downward, she curled her other fist upward, then tapped the wrists together with her right hand over the left.

**Of course you got the job!**

She pointed to Sora again quickly before he could begin his protest. She let her left hand fall loose at the wrist, her right hand's middle finger touching the back of her wrist with the rest of her right fingers lifted away. Both her hands broke away from this touch as if to break something in half, then she flicked them both toward Sora. Namine lifted her hands again, and placed them almost directly on her chest over both her armpits, palms up toward the ceiling as if she were holding or presenting something, then running them in very light circles. She presented the number two with her fingers, then pointed to Sora. She lifted her hands as if to give him a double high five, bounced them in the air, then lowered them in the same position and bounced them again. To end her sentence, she once again made two fists with the left curled down and the right one up before bumping the wrists together right hand over the left.

**You've been here for two years now, and you're a great worker.**

Namine moved to touch her forehead with her fingers, then flicked her hand downward, thumb and pinky out. Her hand moved to stand straight like a board beside her mouth, like one might when whispering something, then jerked herself and this hand forward lightly. Both her hands moved to her waist, both flat and pointed mostly downward. She lightly turned her hands so the tips of her fingers were pointing upward. Then, she pointed to Sora and lifted her hands to both sides of her head, the pads of her fingers pressing together in a pinch. Then slid down quickly in a straight line, both hands turned flat.*

**Why wouldn't Leon let you be a trainer?**

Sora smiled at her gently, though he didn't seem so sure. He placed both his hands on his chin, laying them flat with the tips at the point, then quickly jerked them out away from his chin and toward Namine. He pointed at her, almost weakly, then laid his left hand flat with the palm up as he ran his equally flat right hand over the left, right hand's palm down.

**Thanks, Namine, you're nice.**

He pointed to himself, his pointer finger poking right into the middle of his chest. Both his hands moved into a loose "c" shape, his right hand nearly touching his forehead as his left hand had the palm facing the wall. He waved only the fingers twice in a quick, jumping motion. He pointed to himself again, then he fisted his hands with the thumbs out, palms down with the thumb facing each other. He knocked his hands down once like that, then he lifted only his right hand up, two fingers standing up against each other with the rest of his hand in a fist. He had his fingers pointed to the ceiling as he moved them four times in a tight circle. He lifted both hands back into the air, tapping all the pads of his fingers together three times. Sora laid his right hand out with the palm up and did the same for his left hand, but then tapped his left hand in this new position into his right hand twice.

**I hope so. I could use the extra money.**

Namine chuckled, lifting her right hand up. She crooked her pointer finger and wiggled it three times fast, then fisted her hands with the palms facing downward and the thumbs pointing at each other. She knocked them once. She shook her head no as her right hand stayed fisted, thumb up toward her face. He rleft hand, palm up, was flattened as her right hand fisted, pinky and thumb out, then slid across the palm of her left hand. To end her sentence, she had her whole right arm sit like a board, then put the elbow of her left arm over her right hand. Left arm sitting up at first, she then had it gently close down over the right arm.

**Who couldn't these days?**

Their conversation had ended just in time for someone else to enter the room; both workers turned to the door near by and presented the new comer with their usual smiles. The brunette waved, grinning a little wider as he recognized who it was.

"Hi, Yuffie!"

"Hey guys!" Yuffie just waved back instead of signing. Around the cafe, most of the people who worked were good at lip reading. Or at least Sora was, and that was who she came to see. "Sora, you have a table."

"Thanks, Yuffie." Sora nodded to the older brunette and waved again mainly to be polite as she left. He turned to Namine, who was standing up to throw away a small plastic mircowave plate that had been her lunch. He explained to her as she came back to the table, and she waved him out of the break room.

"Which table?" Sora asked to Yuffie as he jogged to catch up with her down the hall. She stopped to look at him just as they reached the kitchen, not far from where Cloud was busy making fudge. He had almost run right into the older girl she had halted so quickly. Yuffie smiled brightly.

"Table three." She suddenly giggled, both hands moving to cover her mouth. Sora couldn't hear it, but she seemed to be having trouble with her laughter. She moved her hands away after a few seconds time to calm down, but was still practically squirming in place. "And they are so cute!"

"Cute?"

"Yeah! Muscular athlete types! My favorite."

Sora chuckled at her and shook his head. "Right after musicians, hot geeks, and sensitive emo boys, right?"

"Oh, go tend to your table! And try not to drool over them like you did that hot business guy last week." Yuffie snapped back, but very playfully. She smiled again and moved to head out onto the floor herself, once more back to her hostess duties.

"I didn't drool! And you're one to talk!" Sora called back after her; it took a lot of willpower to supress the pout that threatened. _Okay, maybe a little... I can't help it, I'm lonely!_

Sora moved toward the entrance from the kitchens to look out onto the floors. He half-way hid himself behind the wall where one of the table charts stood and carefully looked about for the group at table three. Almost immediately, his eyes went wide and he had to slap a hand over his mouth and nose. But not to drool or have some weird nose bleed, but from the instinct not to breathe the unfiltered air. It was true, the guys that sat at the table were very good looking... but they also appeared very stinky. There were three of them, all muscular, cute, and very sweaty. Their clothes were dirty, stained, and everything about them appeared a little gross.

Uniforms, muscles, and a ton of sweat stains... Definitely the sporty type.

Sora didn't seem too happy about his table, but he had a job to do. So, with a polite smile and a little note pad, he stood straight at the entrance from the kitchens and walked to his first table of the lunch rush to come.

"So, what do you plan to get?"

"Not sure yet... Should we really be eating dessert right after practice anyway? Coach would kill us if he saw us."

"Don't be such a goody-goody. We can all stand a little chocolate break. You especially, with how obsessive you are about work outs."

"I have to work out often; my metabolism is slower then a turtle!"

"Hi!" Sora interrupted gently with his usual warmth and the practiced smile that lit his boyish face up so well. The brunette was more then happy to find out that the horrible body odor he had been expecting to smell as soon as he walked over was not nearly as bad as he had imagined it would be. He had a pencil ready on the paper, and looked about the group slowly. "My name is Sora! I'll be your waiter today. Please speak slowly and directly at me or I'll miss your order."

"... Are you really deaf?" Asked a blonde teen to Sora's right, or what appeared to be a teenager. He was very young looking. The blonde male was blinking at Sora, shock evident in his wide eyes. "Wow! You sound so normal!"

"Tidus! Rude, much?" The male in the middle of the three said. He was broader then the blonde, with long silver hair back in a firm braid. Sora assumed he had kicked "Tidus", as the blonde suddenly jumped with an obvious yelp and rubbed his shin.

"What? What'd I say?"

"It's alright!" Sora assured quicky. "I'm not offended or anything!" Sora glanced at Tidus while keeping the other two in his peripheral. "I had hearing until I was in high school. An explosion happened and I was a little too close. My ear drums were, well, destroyed, which made me deaf."

"Oh, that sucks..." The silverette said as his brows furrowed together.

Sora turned to face them all again with a gentle shrug. "So, do you guys know what you'd like to drink? We have a special on teas today!"

"Hm... Tea is a little boring..." Finally, the third male spoke up. He was much shorter than the other two, and his muscles were a little harder to find under all the black he wore. He had navy-blue hair that was styled to hang over his face where a soft, almost neutral frown was present. He turned his dark blue eyes up to Sora. "Just get me a regular coffee. Black."

Sora nodded and turned to the other two. "And for you?"

"I'll have a raspberry fizz." The silverette replied after another moment of thought, now distracted by the dessert section of the menu.

"Coke." Tidus nodded firmly, as if to confirm for sure. "And make it a float." He handed his menu over, almost hitting Sora in the elbow as he jerked it without a care to the brunette, who took it from his hands more carefully.

"Alright... That's one plain coffee, one raspberry fizz, and a coke float?" Sora repeated after he wrote the orders down. "Do you know what you'd like for dessert or is this it?"

The blunette shrugged and handed over his menu without a word. The silverette seemed thoughtful, and then nodded to himself. He looked up. "I'll have..." The middle man looked up at Sora, almost as if confused. The brunette took it as indecision, but before the waiter could suggest giving him a little extra time to think it through, he finally shook his head and replied, "I'll have a chocolate melt."

"Chocolate melt? What kind of ice cream?"

"Vanilla."

"Excellent choices! I'll be right back with your drinks." 

*****

The silverette watched him run off with a thoughtful frown on his handsome face.

"I'm surprised you're going for such a fatty dessert," Tidus mentioned as he leaned back in his chair. "Riku? You okay?"

Riku, the silverette, shook his head and turned to Tidus. "I'm sorry, what?"

The blonde smirked at him; a rather cat-like grin crossing his cute face. "Uh oh, does someone have a crush? Whatever will your girlfriend think?"

"For the last time, a stalker does not a girlfriend make."

"Right, right." Tidus nodded, though he looked unconvinced. "Well, the waiter is pretty cute. For a dude, I guess."

"I thought he was attractive," the blunet said with his usual neutral expression, which made it impossible to know if he was just kidding or not.

"You think everyone is 'beautiful in their own right'."

"Don't mock me for my beliefs. Everyone is beautiful in their own right, some more so physically then others. That one is attractive, and he seems nice."

"What does it matter?" Riku said with a frustrated sigh that blew a piece of his sticky bangs from his face. "He's deaf."

"So?" The blunette quirked a brow.. maybe. It was hard to tell with his hair covering over one of his eyes. "Being deaf shouldn't make a difference."

"So... It'd be hard to keep conversations. You know I talk funny sometimes--I was raised in the deep south. What if he didn't understand my accent? I can't use sign language, either." Riku shrugged, though he did seem a little depressed. He tried to hide it with a smirk. "In bed, however... I'd be more then happy to communicate a few things I'm sure wouldn't be misunderstood."

Tidus laughed. "Right, right!"

"Ugh, why are we friends again?" The brunette's lips were in a thin line as he shook his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *"I'm worried I didn't get the job." No, these are not the exact translations. If I used the exact translations it'd look more like this: "Me worry me did not get work." ASL does not have contractions such as "I'm". I couldn't put "I am" either because "am" does not exist in ASL as anything other then "A.M." like morning time. I could either put "I" by itself or "me" by itself. I went for "me" because I'm told that is the more appropriate option.
> 
> *The last part of that is actually translated to "Teacher", which I am not sure if that is the correct word to replace "trainer" with.
> 
> Thank you to my original ASL helper Zaya! It's been ten years now (I originally published this in 2010) and I hope you're doing well~


	4. Getting to Know You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There won't be a whole lot of signing in this chapter, but there will be in the next. I wanted to update and you'd be surprised how much of an issue it is to find a decent ASL site that's free use. It's mostly classes and junk versus references with both description and video (which is what I'm looking for)...
> 
> Sorry if that disappoints anyone, but the next chapter will _definitely_ make up for it. And may rot your teeth.

"Ohhh, Sora~!" Yuffie sing-songed as she approached the back. Sora only knew she sang it because of the way her lips stretched both words. "You seem to have a new regular!" She was smiling far too mischeviously for his liking.

"... A new regular?" He asked with caution.

"Mmmmhhmmmmm...." If the subtle vibration of her lips had not tipped him off that she was humming in playful delight, the way she rocked and remained silent did. "You remember those cute jocks from the other day?"

"Oh! Yes?"

"The silver-haired one came back!" Sora was certain she was squealing at this point, if the way she jumped in place was any indication.

"Oh. He seemed nice!" Sora replied sweetly. "Did he request me, then?"

"Yep! Good thing, too, because we are kind of slow today."

"I noticed." Sora sighed. "Well, awesome! I better go tend to my table, then."

"Have fun!" She chirped, and then hopped away toward the front where she was supposed to be stationed as the hostess.

Sora liked Yuffie a lot (he liked everyone he worked with, actually), but sometimes she could be a little too intense--even when you couldn't hear her. Leon had told him he was lucky he could avoid that, at least, which had earned him a "Ninja Kick" to the ankle. 

_... He requested me? I wonder why? It's not as if he paid that much attention to me, and they didn't really need me much last time._ Sora pulled out his notebook as he approached the table and smiled. The silverette was alone today, and wearing clean, fresh clothes. The man had his hair in a bun with his bangs pulled out instead of a braid this time (a look that Sora usually cringed at, but was oddly attractive on the pale student) and wore a sleeveless tank top with purple pants and a yellow vest. It was an odd combination of colors (well, to Sora anyway), but again it worked. He supposed the silverette was just special like that somehow.

"Hello! Welcome back!" Sora grinned wide and held his notepad aloft. "Do you know what you want to drink, sir?"

"Hm..." The silverette looked up slowly from the menu. He was sitting on the outside edge, so he was much closer to Sora this time. That meant he had a better view of the man's pretty, aquamarine eyes. "Just water, thank you."

"Water! Got it." Sora scribbled it down, even though water was easy to remember. It was more about restaurant policy in case of order issues and such than anything. "Did you want to order something to eat?"

"... What would you recommend?"

"Me?" Sora was often asked that question, but it was somehow different coming from someone handsome. Every time a customer he found attractive wanted his opinion on something he nearly froze. "Well, do you like sweet or salty? Are you super hungry or just kind of hungry? Do you want a dessert or a meal?"

"I like sweet, I'm moderately hungry, and I want a meal."

"Are you a vegetarian?"

"No. Are you?"

"Nope! Do you have any dietary issues?"

"No. Do you?"

Sora laughed and shook his head. "Nope! In that case, have you seen the lunch specials?" Sora bent a little over the table and used his pencil to point at a few items while keeping Riku's lips in his sight. 

"Which is your favorite?"

Sora bit his lip in thought as he considered his choices. "I'd say... the lamb gyro. It's awesome! It comes with a house sauce that I could honestly eat straight out of the container it is so good."

The silverette nodded slowly. "All right. I'll take that, then."

Sora stood straight once again and wrote down the order quickly. "All right! A tall glass of ice-cold water and some delicious lamb gyro!" Sora put his pencil away and grabbed the silverette's menu. "I'll be right back with your water."

He didn't know why, but it felt a little awkward to turn around and leave for the back. Sora wasn't entirely sure why, either, since so far this had been a normal interaction. He turned back once before disappearing and could almost swear he had seen Riku watching him... But even if he was, so what?

It only took a second to put in the order in the computer before grabbing his water. When he returned, he had expected to simply say, "Anything else for now?" like normal, but the silverette beat him.

"Do you like working here, Sora?"

Sora blinked. Another perfectly normal question, yet he still felt surprised. "Oh, uh, do I like it here? Yes!" Sora beamed proudly. "I love it here! Best job I ever had!"

The silverette nodded and seemed to let it go.

"Okay, well," Sora almost felt like laughing a little. Why was it so strange? "Are you good? Do you need anything while you wait for food?"

The college student shook his head, and turned to look Sora directly in the eye again. A faint smile appeared that nearly caused Sora to twitch.

"All right! I'll be back with your food, then."

Sora turned on his heel and did his best to walk normally to the back. Once he was sure he couldn't be seen, he scuttled away like a frightened salamander to the break room. No one was in there, so he took that second to breathe and calm his heart.

 _Okay, Sora... Okay. This is not like you!_ He reasoned as he allowed the jittering in his fingers that had been threatening free. He shook out his hands. _People ask you these questions all the time. He is a customer! He's not flirting!_ That last smile did seem... strategically placed, though. _No! Even if he was it would be stupid to do anything or attempt anything or think anything with a guy you just met, don't know the name of, and is a customer at. Your. Place. Of. Employment! Just breathe,_ he took a long, deep breath, _and do your job. You can do this! He's not that hot anyway!_

So determined, Sora put his game face back on and marched back out. Thanks to how slow the day was, the order came faster than normal. Sora carried out the dishes on a tray (the sandwich with fries, the side salad he totally forgot to ask details about--oops, and the cup of house sauce) with practiced skill. The man had been playing something on his phone it seemed (he had been holding it side ways and occasionally swiping or tapping his thumb) when Sora arrived. He moved his arms so Sora had room to set everything down.

"Okay! Let me know if you like it. Anything else?"

"What are your general duties here? Besides serving customers, obviously."

"Eh?" Sora had hoped he could just escape this time. No luck. "Oh," he was saying 'oh' a lot that day, "I also help clean everything up, do some prep cooking, help others carry trays as necessary, host on occasion, and I'm hoping to start training soon!"

"I see. Thank you." 

And that seemed be to be that. Again.

 _Maybe he's just looking to apply? We're still looking for employees. Yes! Maybe? Does it matter? No! Walk away, crazy!_ "All right! I'll be back to check in a bit."

The rest of the time the silverette was there he did little more than keep his manners (saying "Thank you" mainly) and nod or shake his head. He didn't ask anything else, and when he left there was a generous tip on the table. A ten for a meal that wasn't even fifteen bucks.

 _Did he accidentally leave too much? Maybe he thought the meal cost more than that?_ Sora pocketed the money, but decided he would see if the young man came back rather than spend it. _He might have given me too much. I don't want to be rude._

oo00oo00oo

The next week after that on the same day, and even around the same time, Yuffie came to the back while Sora was supposed to be on a quick break with her brows waggling intensely. That was never a good sign. 

"Guess who just arrived?"

Sora wasn't sure, so he shrugged and offered a crooked grin in response. Namine beside him looked between them just as confused as he was. 

"The jock is back!" Yuffie announced excitedly. "And he asked for you again!"

Sora tilted his head and pointed at himself, as if to be sure. _Did he really come back for me? I guess he wants to make friends if he's hoping to work here at some point. You tend to have a better chance to be hired if you know someone._

"Yes, you, silly! Come on, go out there!"

Namine looked to Sora and lifted her hands with an expression that clearly read confusion. **What is she talking about? What jock?**

Sora sighed. Not that seeing the man again was an issue or anything, but Yuffie was acting like they were dealing with some form of high school crush. It was a little embarrassing and felt a tiny bit creepy, especially given he didn't know the guy's name or anything. **You remember about two weeks ago how she had teased me because some hot, athletic guys came in?**

Namine nodded.

**One came back. Today would make two times.**

Namine's brows skyrocketed to her hairline. **Really?**

Sora nodded. **I better go. Want the rest of my coffee?**

Namine grabbed the mug with a smile as her answer. He returned the expression before heading out to the floor with his notepad and pencil in hand. 

"Hello again!" Sora greeted as enthusiastically as he usually did. Today the silverette had a simple ponytail thrown over his shoulder and a black, elbow-length shirt on. Somehow the cut and tightness of it made him seem both thinner and more muscular at once, as if he needed to come off more muscular at all. His pants were just regular jeans, but the double seams complimented his thighs and the boot-leg cut made them appear longer. Sora had to jerk himself out of staring; thankfully the silverette had still been mulling over his menu.

"What's your favorite drink here?" He finally asked, while making sure he was facing Sora properly. He smiled again, though Sora suddenly suspected that the silverette might not be used to smiling from the way it twitched. It seemed genuine, but also like maybe the silverette might be more socially awkward than he first let on. Or maybe Sora was reading too much into it? After years of studying expression to make up for the nuances of conversations he would miss when not able to hear it was a habit to try and interpret everything in body language and facial movements.

"My favorite dessert drink or regular drink?"

"Both."

Sora turned a little pink. "Uh, dessert is the Chocolate Death and regular drink I guess would be cranberry juice." That seemed to surprise the silverette. "What would you like to drink?"

"... Water I guess is fine. I'll have to try that Chocolate Death at some point, though. Sounds up my alley."

"Okay, water! And you really should if you like chocolate, but it does have the potential to kill." Sora chuckled behind a toothy smile.

The silverette was the one to turn pink that time.

"I'll also have the gyro again."

"Cesar salad still okay? What dressing?"

"Whatever it normally comes with is fine."

Sora jotted down his order as he nodded his head, and then off to the back he went again. _He blushed! That was kind of cute!_ Sora cleared his throat. _Sora, we discussed this. He is a customer! Don't be weird!_

It wasn't as slow as it had been last time, but it was just enough for Cloud to finish the silverette's meal quickly. Sora took the plate from the blonde directly rather than down the line, or tried to. Cloud held onto the plate a moment longer, and said slowly enough to be very well understood, "Yuffie told me. Is there going to be an issue?"

"Told you what?"

"Some customer out there you're flirting with."

"What!" Sora was genuinely annoyed by that. "Okay, she's gone too far. No, we are _not_ flirting. He's been coming back as a regular and other than taking his order and giving food suggestions _nothing has happened_." Sora stared at Cloud hard to make it clear he meant that.

Cloud sighed, rolled his eyes, and nodded as he let the plate go. "I'll talk to her. Again. Her imagination goes too far sometimes."

"Thank you."

Sora growled under his breath until he felt a lot less frustrated. He put the dishes onto a tray and carefully carried it out to the silverette's table--with a proper smile once more plastered onto his face, of course.

"Here's your gyro! I told you it was good." Sora happily placed the dishes onto the table. 

"Thank you," the silverette said once everything was settled.

"Oh!" Sora knocked a fist into the palm of his hand. "Before I forget... Did you mean to leave me a ten dollar tip or was that an accident? I think you gave me too much."

"No, it was on purpose."

"O-Oh... Well, thank you, then."

"How long have you been working here?"

"Hm? A little over two years."

"How much weight do you need to lift to work here?"

"The standard fifty pounds or so." Sora nodded as he spoke.

"I see. Thank you."

And that was that was that was that. Sora said, "Enjoy!" and walked away once more feeling an odd bundle of nerves grow in his limbs. 

oo00oo00oo

The third week Sora decided to wait and see if the silverette would show instead of allowing Yuffie the chance to embarrass him. What if she said something weird like she did to Cloud? Apparently both managers (Cloud and Leon) spoke to her at once, and yet she still tittered at him about "the hot jock" (she could not be controlled by anyone) so he decided he should take matters into his own hands. To that end, he stood at the front where the hostesses normally would be, prepared to take his regular to a table himself.

So far, his customer had been very polite and sweet. He was a little shy, it seemed, but that was downright adorable considering the man looked so distant and tough. He had a square jaw, icy stare (that only softened when he tried to smile, which was always small and a little crooked), arms that almost rivaled Leon's (both were ridiculous in muscle mass), he was quiet, often frowned, and held himself with the kind of confidence someone who was used to getting into fist-fights might. The silverette did not in any way come off as approachable (kind of like Cloud and Leon, actually), but then when Sora stood close enough and got to see all his tiny facial expressions and how he tried so hard to smile his best for Sora... How could he find the man's behavior anything other than cute? It helped he always left a good tip, too.

Speaking of the devil, the silverette arrived right on time. Sora smiled and delighted in the way the man's eyes lit up with surprise upon being greeted immediately by the brunette.

"Hello, again!" Sora stood straight (he had been leaning against the hostess podium). "I have a table ready for you if you're ready to be seated."

"Are you the host today, then?"

Sora shook his head. "Nope. I was just waiting for you."

Sora held back the urge to coo as the silverette turned pink from that admission. The customer only nodded his head gently in response.

"Follow me, then!"

Sora sat the silverette himself before flipping open his notepad. "By the way, would you mind if I knew your name?" He asked instead of the usual, "What would you like to drink?"

"... Riku."

"Riku. That's a nice name!" Sora hoped he wasn't too loud as he spoke, since he had been a little excited that time. "What would you like to drink, Riku?"

"You wear... a lot of red. Is that your favorite color?"

Sora blinked and reactively looked down to examine his own outfit. He was wearing a red, button-down shirt and had red shoes. There wasn't really a uniform, other than close-toed shoes--even shorty-shorts were fine, but Sora did his best to look like he belonged in a team leader position. He hadn't thought much about the colors. 

"Oh! I mean, technically yes?" Sora offered sheepishly. "But mostly I just find red to feel more... professional? I guess?" He shrugged.

"I see."

"Why did you ask? Is it because I have a lot on today?"

"... You're always wearing red."

Sora blinked again. "I am?"

"You were the last two times, anyway."

Sora mumbled a, "Let me get your water," before practically hopping to the back. He hoped Riku didn't take that as a bad sign, but he needed to get away before his face burst into flames. _He notices what I wear...! No, Sora, stay focused!_

The rest of today's visit went as normal. Riku hadn't seemed offended that Sora sprinted off (he had apologized, but Sora just said it was fine--and it was let go). Riku didn't ask anything else, possibly because he felt rude now, and Sora hoped beyond hope that that didn't mean Riku wasn't going to come back. 

_Did I screw things up?_

Riku still left a good tip, either way... But Sora suddenly felt like he could have lived without a decent tip if it meant Riku would come back.

_... We'll see next week, I guess._

oo00oo00oo

The fourth, fifth, and sixth weeks Riku came back. It was practically routine now. Sora would wait for Riku to arrive, take him to his seat, Riku would order the same thing (once with a dessert, which was the Chocolate Death... he finished it, which was a feat even Sora couldn't manage in one go), and the silverette would ask a question or three toward the beginning of the meal but hardly said a word toward the middle and end. Sora did manage to get some return information back: Riku was a Blitzball player and a kick boxer, he was only a year older than Sora, his favorite drink was the chocolate protein shake only sold at the local muscle shop, and his favorite color was yellow or purple. Most of the time the silverette tried to keep things about Sora, but it wasn't as if the brunette had to pull at his customer's teeth to get information--he just wanted to know more about Sora.

Even the brunette was not so dense at to continue to believe that Riku was just curious because he wanted a job. 

They still weren't having "proper" conversations (it was all rather blunt, actually), but it was clear what Riku's intention was... and Sora was feeling less and less stressed about being unprofessional. Now he just wanted the silverette to just ask him out already, or at least for his number--something. Maybe one and a half months just wasn't enough time yet?

_... I can't ask him or I'll get in trouble. I don't want to slip my number over on the slim chance I'm wrong, either! This sucks! Just ask me!_

oo00oo00oo

The seventh week... and Riku was missing. 

He didn't show. Not at their usual time, and not all week. He hadn't said anything about being gone, but Sora supposed he didn't have to. They weren't dating (were they even friends?) after all.

_What if he doesn't come back?_

oo00oo00oo

The eighth week Riku came back. Yuffie had caught him this time, since Sora was still too miffed at the man for missing their usual date last week to be bothered--in case he really didn't return. Yet, he did (to Yuffie's utter delight), and it took a lot of control not to pout. He wanted to tell Riku off for being gone, but he reminded himself strongly they were not lovers. Riku wasn't obligated to tell him anything.

Yet, Riku surprised him. He was sheepish and apologized, though Sora knew he didn't have to. 

"I completely forgot we had to do an away game." The way Riku looked at that spoke volumes on how dumb he thought himself to be. You could practically read, "Who forgets their own game?!" on his face. "I didn't want to be presumptuous and call or something..." 

Sora stared at Riku for a minute before shaking his head and smiling. "I was a little worried, but it's your life. I'm just glad you didn't get into an accident or something!"

Riku offered his usual smile, though it was starting to look more and more comfortable on his face. More handsome.

"Well, then, what would you like to drink? Water?"

oo00oo00oo

On the ninth week Sora was rubbing his temples trying his best to send mental rays to Riku while the silverette ate that demanded the man ask him for his number. If it weren't a firable offense, he would have just done the deed himself.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Namine smiling sympathetically. She was the only one he felt safe confessing the whole story to. **No luck?**

**I'm trying to telepathically persuade him to make a move as we speak.**

oo00oo00oo

The tenth week and Sora was ready to give up. Maybe they would be stuck in this strange limbo forever, either until he or Riku finally gave up and went their separate ways. The brunette had a rag in hand to wipe down the table (Riku had behaved uncharacteristically this time and left in a hurry rather than stick around long enough to say bye) when he noticed a slip of paper attached to his tip. It was a sticky note.

And on it was Riku's phone number.

Sora held the sticky note aloft and yelled, "Huzzah!" which prompted the small crowd of customers to stare at him all at once. He turned with the note still in hand over his head in triumph when he noticed the multiple looks of confusion. He chuckled nervously and held both his tip and the number close to his chest with a grin.

_Finally! I'm gonna text him as soon as I get home!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will be a bit spotty from this point on, even though I teased with the next chapter. It is planned out, but not written. 
> 
> I've had low Riku and Sora muses for a while now. I'm trying to fix that with fluffy RikuSora fics~ Feel free to suggest some! (I don't like rape, cheating, or love triangles!)

**Author's Note:**

> Updates spotty.


End file.
